Problem overview:

     Awareness and visions: Environmental problems caused by poverty, increasing population and irresponsible commercial abuse of natural resources plagues many of the countries in the Region. Governments have tried a huge number of incentives and controls with little or no effect - and sometimes leading to even worse conditions.

     Integrating stakeholders: But sometimes success comes from unexpected directions. In this example from the Republic of the Philippines, decentralization has given the city government of Bantay Puerto the power to formulate and implement their own Development plan for conservation and rehabilitation of natural resources.

Background in summary:

     Bantay Puerto Programme was established at the local level for environmental conservation: The City of Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan, was a microcosm of the Philippines' environmental drift. Its forests and seas were severely degraded by both commercial abuse and the rapid increase in both population and poverty. The City government began the Bantay Puerto Program to protect, conserve and rehabilitate.

     Empowerment of local communities through decentralization: Local communities were empowered to manage the resources, with the government furnishing the necessary enabling conditions, such as through programmes that provided users with the incentives and expertise to properly manage their resources. The efficacy of the community-based approach to resource management may be seen from the success of a number of initiatives anchored to such an approach.

     The same initiative is being implemented in other areas: Similar initiatives are being undertaken in other regions and applied to other environmentally oriented projects such as solid waste management. Those successes are being echoed nationwide through the Galing Pook award, which recognizes innovative local government projects and initiatives.

     Community involvement increases the likelihood of a successful outcome: The effectiveness of the community-based approach has yet to be evaluated on a national scale. However, at the local level experience shows that projects with significant community involvement and commitment have a high likelihood of success.

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
2	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	2	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		1	Participation of the community
3	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	1	Participation of resource owners/users
3	Socio-cultural adaptability.	2	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
3	Level of development adaptability.	2	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
2	Style of government adaptability.	2	Ability to attract political interest/support
2	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	2	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:       Often that central government mechanism to solve environmental problems do not work well at the local level, because national policy makers, unlike local governors, are not experiencing the problems firsthand. Therefore, sometimes, it is better off for the local government to manage their own problems. However, assistance from the central government is still required, such as, financial or technical support. Sustainability of the project:      Awareness and visions: The situation in the city of Puerto Princesa gives you an idea on how inter connected human activity-environment-economy are connected. It shows that if one element collapse, the others will be affected too. Adaptability of the project to other situations:       Community participation works, but seems to require two key factors. A local government that understands the saying, "To lead, truly is to follow." Environmental or social decline past a critical level. When people become aware of just how bad their situation has become they are more likely to respond to astute leadership. Process of decision making and implementation:      Integrating stakeholders: The Bantay Puerto Program uses an approach to empower local communities in being able to look after themselves and their environment. This mechanism works well when communities are not too large and everyone in the community is seeking a common goal and holds a common interest. Cost efficiency: